Annonaceae Juss.

(description slightly modified from Kessler 2003)
Trees, shrubs or climbers. Indumentum, if present, simple, stellate or lepidote. Leaves alternate, distichous, very rarely spirally arranged (Tetrameranthus, South America), entire, thin to coriaceous, mid rib raised or impressed above, secondary veins craspedo- or brochidodromous; stipules absent. Flowers terminal, axillary or supra axillary, rami- or cauliflorous, rarely flagellate. Bisexual or less often unisexual. Flowers solitary, paired or in few- to many-flowered fascicles called rhipidia, regular, very often fleshy or brittle; bracts often present. Sepals (2-)3(-4). Valvate or imbricate in bud, free or connate, at least at the base. Petals 3-6( -12), usually either in 2 whorls of 3 (or 2 or 4) or in a single whorl of 3, 4 or 6, valvate or imbricate in bud, free or more or less connate at the base, usually alternating with the sepals. Stamens numerous to very numerous and apparently spirally arranged or 3-15 and whorled. Staminodes present in a few genera; anthers linear, sometimes rounded with extrorse, rarely lateral dehiscence, occasionally transversely septate; connective mostly with a truncate dilated apex, the latter sometimes conical, pyramidal or missing; filaments short and free or rarely longer and united into a tube. Carpels numerous to 1, free, connate at the base, wholly fused or paracarpous; ovules numerous to 1, basal or lateral: styles free or united mostly shortly terete; stigma capitate, oblong or variously folded (horseshoe- or U-shaped). Fruit either consisting of 1 to several fleshy or somewhat woody indehiscent or rarely dehiscent, sessile or stipitate monocarps, or syncarpous with numerous 1-seeded fruiting carpels, or 1-locular and many seeded, cylindrical and often moniliform, rounded or irregular. Seeds rather large, sometimes arillate with a groove encircling the seed; endosperm abundant; ruminate, hard, oily; embryo straight, minute.